Musculoskeletal 3T imaging gains clinical acceptance

November 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Vol. 30 No. 11 Musculoskeletal 3T imaging gains clinical acceptance Improved resolution, efficiency, and other advantages over 1.5T imaging outweigh safety concerns and artifact challenges under 3T High-field MR imaging is rapidly gaining clinical acceptance as a preferred platform. Its impact on imaging of the musculoskeletal system has been dramatic, spurred in part by the increasing availability of 3T systems in clinical and academic settings and by ongoing research demonstrating numerous advantages over 1.5T in many areas, including neurological and vascular imaging.1,2 Reduced concerns over surface coil availability, radiofrequency deposition, ambient noise, magnetic susceptibility, chemical shift, and altered tissue contrast are contributing, along with improved efficiency, to the increased importance of 3T scanners in the clinical setting. A crucial contributor to signal-to-noise ratio performance is the RF coil. Surface coils used in 3T musculoskeletal imaging now rival those for 1.5T in availability and sophistication. High SNR eight-channel phased-array coils are widely available for critical shoulder, wrist, foot, and ankle applications.3 Phasedarray coils enable parallel imaging, which in some circumstances can be used to manage RF energy deposition and reduce scan time.4,5

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